Incidence of burnout in Spanish nursing professionals: A longitudinal study

BackgroundBurnout is a psychological response to chronic work-related stress of an interpersonal and emotional nature that appears in professionals in service organizations who work in direct contact with the clients or end-users of the organization.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to examine the incidence of burnout in a sample of staff nurses.DesignThe study was longitudinal, and not randomized. The gap between time 1 (T1) and time 2 (T2) was 1 year.SettingsThe data were gathered using an anonymous and self-applied questionnaire in different units of 13 Spanish hospitals.ParticipantsThe sample consisted of 316 staff nurses, 53 males (16.8%) and 262 females (83.2%). The percentage of the response obtained was 31.37% of all the questionnaires distributed in T1, and 83.77% of all the questionnaires handed out in T2. The characteristics of the sample were stable over time.MethodsBurnout was evaluated by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-HSS). Descriptive statistics, percentages, and t-test analyses were conducted.ResultsThe prevalence of burnout was different according to the approach used: (a) following the cut-off points from the American manual, the prevalence was 2.84% in T1 and 1.89% in T2; and considering the clinically derived cut-off points obtained in Holland, the percentage was 1.26% in T1 and .94% in T2.ConclusionsThe results only confirmed the hypothesis formulated applying the American cut-off points in T1. There was a significant increase in the levels of emotional exhaustion from T1 to T2, but there were no significant changes in the levels of personal accomplishment or depersonalization from T1 to T2. When the scores on the three dimensions of the MBI were considered together, a decrease in the incidence of burnout was obtained from T1 to T2. The prevalence of burnout in staff nurses can be modified over time, depending on the criteria used to estimate the prevalence.